Since the financial tsunami hit Hong Kong, reports of layoffs and salary-cuts have come one after the other. However, according to a report published by a global HR consulting and outsourcing firm, the cost of medical services will keep increasing.

People are looking for different ways to cut living expenses during the economic downturn. However, the reality is that we do fall ill and medical expenses are unavoidable. In an unfortunate event which requires surgery, a sound medical insurance plan will provide comprehensive cover and a sense of security to the policyholder amid the deteriorating economic situation and rising cost of medical treatment.

However, people rarely need major surgery. In most cases, they would need only simple surgery which may be carried out in a clinic. So, will medical insurance provide benefits for outpatient surgery? Let’s take a look at the example below:

Ms. Li began to suffer from pain and itching in her leg last month. Her situation had not improved after using over-the-counter ointment for a few days so she consulted a doctor and was finally diagnosed with Cellulitis - a bacterial skin infection. Failure to treat Cellulitis could result in amputation. The doctor recommended that Ms. Li undergo debridement－a surgical procedure to remove the damaged tissues of the affected area. This could be carried out in the clinic with no hospitalisation needed.

Although Ms. Li has her own medical insurance, she thought only in-patient surgery was covered. In view of the additional medical expenses and her poor financial condition in recent months, Ms. Li decided to go on medication instead of undergoing surgery. Unfortunately, the infection worsened and the severe pain prevented her from going to work. Ms. Li finally took the doctor’s advice and underwent debridement surgery. However, she needed almost 10 follow-up visits to the doctor before the infection was totally cured.

Many people have a misconception that only treatment received as an inpatient can be covered by their medical insurance plan. In fact, some medical insurance plans such as MSIG Medisure Plus also provide ‘Day Care Surgery’ benefits. (‘Day Care Surgery’ is surgery which could be performed as an outpatient in a clinic.)

Citing Ms. Li’s case as an example, she could have undergone the surgery as an outpatient in a clinic and would have been covered under the extended ‘Day Care Surgery’ benefit of the Hospital Treatment and Services section of her MediSure Plus Policy. With such protection, Ms. Li would not have needed to worry about the medical expenses and, hence, could have opted for timely treatment.

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